1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aircraft ground handling accessories, and more particularly to an adapter for towing aircraft which do not have a conventional nose or tail wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For towing conventional aircraft which have either a nose or tail wheel, a tow bar is used to connect the aircraft to the towing vehicle or, alternatively, a spotting dolly is used. The tow bar or the spotting dolly usually are attached to the aircraft nose or tail wheel by means of pins on the ends of the tow bar arms or of the lifting arms of the spotting dolly, which pins engage holes in the ends of the nose or tail wheel axle. The advantage of the spotting dolly over a tow bar is that the spotting dolly lifts the aircraft nose/tail wheel off the deck, transferring weight to the spotting dolly wheels which increases the friction with the deck, i.e., reducing slippage when towing. However, for aircraft with a quadracycle landing gear such a towing arrangement is not effective as there is no point on the centerline of the aircraft to which such a tow bar or spotting dolly can be attached. Therefore, it is desirable to adapt existing tow bars and spotting dollies for use with such non-conventional aircraft.